WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 16, 2026, as the nominee to serve as the next chief of space operations. His confirmation hearing comes amid a $71.1 billion Space Force budget request and growing emphasis on space as a contested warfighting domain.

Schiess, who currently serves as the deputy chief of space operations for operations at the Pentagon, appeared before the committee to support his nomination, which the White House announced in April 2026. He is expected to succeed Gen. Chance Saltzman, who announced in London that he will retire in August 2026. If confirmed, Schiess would become the Space Force's third chief of space operations, the military head of the United States Space Force.

The hearing lasted approximately 40 minutes, during which six senators asked Schiess questions. Sen. Angus King noted the limited attendance, saying, "The fact that we didn't have a large turnout is an indication, I believe, of the committee's confidence in you." Sen. Richard Blumenthal added that being non-controversial "is not a bad thing." Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee—a standing committee of the United States Senate—stated that the Space Force is currently underfunded but would be adequately resourced if Congress passes the Trump administration’s budget request.

Schiess affirmed the administration’s $71.1 billion request as essential. "I would say that the $71.1 billion that the president has asked for is exactly what we need," he said. He explained that the funding is necessary due to threats from China and Russia and the capabilities required by joint forces. In written testimony submitted to the committee, Schiess emphasized that the service’s budget, personnel, and platforms must grow to support major joint operations.

He outlined strategic priorities for his potential tenure, stating his first year would focus on improving combat readiness, prioritizing operational testing, building up space launch infrastructure, and expanding facilities. Schiess identified the most pressing issue as scaling to meet the increase in launch tempo and growth in commercial missions. The Space Force has budgeted for more than 100 national security space launches over the next five years, and a planning document estimates its two main launch bases could conduct as many as 3,000 commercial and military launches per year by 2036.

In his written testimony, Schiess described the military’s space forces as having played a key role in recent operations, including those in Venezuela and during the war in Iran, where space units were among the first to operate. He wrote, "The most significant challenge is balancing urgent readiness for a contested space domain today with the modernization required to win tomorrow." He also warned that adversaries are accelerating their development of counterspace systems, noting, "Our adversaries are fielding counterspace capabilities at a rapidly increasing pace that are designed to hold U.S. and allied satellites at risk, while also building space-enabled kill chains to threaten our Joint Force."

Schiess affirmed his commitment to providing candid military advice regardless of political pressure. He stated he would have no hesitation in offering his best military judgment even when it differs from the views of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, other Joint Chiefs members, the Secretary of War, the President, or other leaders.

The confirmation of the next chief of space operations occurs against a backdrop of escalating strategic competition in space and internal debate over budget mechanisms. The Trump administration proposed using budget reconciliation to fund key Space Force programs, including the Space Data Network and Golden Dome, but House leaders have indicated they will not fully comply with that approach. The $71.1 billion request represents a significant investment aimed at maintaining U.S. military advantage as space becomes increasingly integral to global operations and deterrence.

Schiess’s potential leadership comes at a time when the Space Force is transitioning from a newly established service to one managing rapid growth in both military and commercial launch activity. With projections of thousands of annual launches within a decade and emerging threats from peer competitors, the next chief will shape how the service balances immediate readiness with long-term modernization—a challenge Schiess has identified as central to U.S. strategic success in space.